The Daily Mail report that Ferguson is lining up a move for the young St Etienne centre-back, who is just 18, in the summer as he plans for the long-term without Vidic and Ferdinand in the years to come.

Zouma, a French under-19 international, is hotly-tipped to be a French international star of the future and Ferguson is keen to add him to his defensive options which also include Johnny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.

St Etienne have offered Zouma a new deal in the hope of keeping him in Ligue 1 for the next few seasons, but United a ready to make their move in the summer to try to prize him away to the Premier League.

Ferguson is also interested in Benfica’s Argentine defender Ezequiel Garay and has wanted him on a number of occasions in the Champions League and the Portuguese Super League. He is also interested in his Benfica team-mate Nicolás Gaitán.